Sign



J. B. HAMILTON Oct. 31, 1933.

SIGN Filed July 5, 1952v ATTORNEY.

Patented Qct. 31, `1933 SIGN Jennie B. Hamilton, Westneld, Mass. Application July 5, 1932. serial No.y 620,788

2 Claims.

This invention relates to sign devices having a plurality of interchangeable characters and sign plaques. o

p The principal objects of the invention are di- 5 rected to the provision of a sign device which includes a sign plate and a plurality of interchangeable characters and which is not. only simple in form so as to be economical to manufacture, but the characters and plate are constructed in a novel way to prevent lateral and longitudinal shifting movements of the characters when assembled with the plate. `This is accomplished ina simple way, all of which contributes to a low cost of production of the device and at the same time the characters are readily and easily interchanged. f

Various novel features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter more fully referred to in connection with the accompanying description of the preferred form thereof which for purposes of disclosure isshown in the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofa sign plate of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

3 is an enlarged sectional elevational View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a signplaque which may be removably attached to the sign plate, and

Fig. 5 shows characters which may removably be attached to the plate. 1

Referring now to the drawing in detail the sign device of the invention will be more fully described.

A ysign plate 2 is shown in Fig. l which may be made from a flat sheet of relatively thin material such as sheeb Celluloid, cardboard, or metal or the like. In the lower portion thereof,

raised portions such as 4 are brought upwardly beyond the plane of the plate as by a stamping or pressing operation and slits 6 approximately the width of the raised portions are provided at adjacent inner sides of the portions 4.

The portions 4 and their slits 6 are disposed in sets or pairs as shown, and are so arranged that the raisedportions in conjunction with the slits form pockets having open inner sides or ends. The said open ends of the pockets of each set or pair are directed towards one another and the raised portion and slit of the pockets at the inner open ends thereof provide shoulders 8 which are disposed above the plane of the plate 2.

There may be any number of sets or pairs of raised portions to provide any number of sets or pairs of pockets. For best results the slits and raised portions of each set or pair of pockets will preferably be disposed so that the distance between the shoulders 8 thereof will be reason- .ably definite because these shoulders are made.

use of to co-operate with certain parts of the characters and hold them in place as will later appear.

The plate 2 on its upper portion has a depression or seat 11 bounded by the lines 10. Other raised portions 12 are provided at opposite ends of the area 11 and in conjunction with slits 14 on inner adjacent sides of the raised portions form pockets which have open ends directed towards one another as shown.

A sign plaque member 16 as shown in Fig. 4 is provided with end tabs 18 and is arranged to be receivable in the depression l1 while the tabs 75 18 'are receivable in the pockets at the ends of the depression. The sign plaque may be of sheet celluloid, cardboard, or other material so as to be more or less bendable to facilitate the p tabs being inserted in the pockets and may carry descriptive matter such as the name of the commodity with which the sign is used. By having a plurality of plaques this feature of the sign device may be readily changed as may be desired.

Shoulders 19 are formed at the jointure of the tabs 18 with the sign plaque 16 which when the tabs 18 are inserted in the pocket will abut shoulders 21 at the .inner sides of the pockets or raised portions 12. The width 'of the tabs 90 18 preferably correspond to the inner width of the pockets so that with the sign plaque in the depression 11 and the tabs 18 in the pockets the sign plaque 16 is held against shifting movements relative to the plate 2.

Characters indicated by C and in the form of the numerals 1 and 4 as shown in Fig. 5 and other similar characters are y provided which may be made from sheet celluloid, cardboard, or other more or less bendable material. Ac- 100 cording to one feature of the invention the characters are interchangeable with the sign plate and have longitudinally extending body portions 25 which are of a certain width and at the ends of the characters there are provided 105 tabs 28 which are of relatively less width than the body portion so as to provide shoulders 29 at the jointure of the tabs 28 and characters as shown.

The tabs 28 of the characters are receivable in V110 the pockets formed by the raised portions 4 and slits 6 of the plate so that the characters may overlay the plate 2 as shown in Fig. 1. When the characters are made of sheet material such as celluloid, which is more or less bendable, it is an easy matter to insert the tabs in the pockets by bending the characters slightly intermediate their ends.

Accordim to a wecial feature of the invention the wl'dth of the tabs of characters is such that the sides thereof coincide with the inner sides o! the pockets and the distance between the shoulders 29 of the character corresponds to the distance between the shoulders 8 of a set or pair of pockets. When the tabs at opposite ends of a character are inserted in a set or pair ot pockets the character is held against longitudinal shift-` ing movements by means o! the shoulders thereof which abut the shoulders of the pockets while at the same time it is held against lateral shitting urtiltlng movements by the sides of the tabs which fkjbring up againm the inner sides of the pockets.

By acuirately makmgV the characters and pockets the characters are accurately held in place and we um ot other parte associated with the plate md diameters to hold the characters against 'shining is eliminated, thus tending 'to reduce the expense of manufacturing.

" mimnumber o( characters may be provided so that it is possible to set up any desired informa- `un the Sign plate and by being easily at- Dt removed fmin the plate it is poible `tiranniachanges quickly. By reason of the novel pressed `portion which are brought upwardly-be- "the plane of the plate and provided with at their adjacent sides to form open-ended having their open ends directed towards one another and in substantial parallelism with 'another and provided with shoulders around open ends above'the plane of the i ace oi' the bitte. and a plaque cut from sheet material ntting inleaid depressed portion oi' the plate having a mz extending bodymember of a width substantially equal to the width of the depressed portion and tabs extending from opposite ends of said body member, the said tabs being of relatively less width than the longitudinal body member to form shoulders at the jointure of said tabs and body member and being of a width substantially equal to the inside width of the pockets and receivable therein, the said shoulders at the ends o1 the plaque being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the shoulders of the pockets whereby when the tabs are in the pockets the plaque is held against lateral displacement by the sides of the tabs abutting against the inner sides of the pockets and by the sides of the plaque abutting against the sides of the depressed portion and against longitudinal displacement by the shoulders of the plaque and pockets being in abutment, all adapted and arranged whereby the upper `surface of the plaque is substantially on a plane with the upper surface of the plate.

' 2. .As an article of manufacture, a sign comprising, a plate member of sheet material having a portion thereof depressed below the plane of its `face and portions at opposite ends oi' the depressed portion which are brought upwardly be yond the plane of the plate and provided with slits at their adjacent sides to form openended pockets having their open ends directed towards one another and in substantial parallelism with one another and provided with shoulders around said open ends above the plane of the face of the plate, and a plaque cut from sheet material fri;- ting in said depressed portion of the plate having a body member of a length and width substantially equal to the length and width of the depressed portion and tabs extending from opposite ends of said body member, the said tabs being of relatively less width than the body member to form shoulders at the jointure oi said tabs and iin body member and being of a width substantially n equal to the inside width o! the pockets and ro ceivable therein, the said shoulders at the ends ol the plaque being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the shoulders of the pockets whereby when the tabs are in the pockets the plaque is held against lateral displacement by the sides of the tabs abutting against the inner sides of the pockets and against longitudinal displacement by the shoulders of the plaque and pockets being in abutment, all adapted and arranged whereby the upper surface of the plaque is sub-- stantially on a plane with the upper surface of the plate.

JENNIE B. HAMILTON. 

